Hastings CBD
WestSide
Alexander's. Suzelle. Rick's Island. Flex Fitness. Four businesses on WestSide that will sort your wardrobe, your body, your fit, and your Friday. The strip has more range than most people realise — and most of it has been here longer than you'd think.
Alexander's Apparel · 300 HSW
Darren Olsen took over Alexander's Apparel in late 2011. Finance background. Looking for something real. What he found was a Hastings institution started in 1980 by the late Des Bowater — a man who'd been dressing Hawke's Bay men since 1973, starting out across the road at Blackmore's when there were sixteen independent menswear stores on the strip and the fitting rooms were full at 7:30 on a Friday night.
Those days are different now. But Alexander's adapted. Computers replaced the cash register. Ecommerce launched during the pandemic. Social media followed. And in 2020, Darren opened a ladies clothing store — originally on King Street, relocated to Heretaunga Street in 2021 — so the full family could shop without anyone having to wait.
Today Alexander's is three things in one address. Menswear. Ladies fashion. And right next door, through a separate door, Stitch N Time Alterations — so when the fit is almost right, you can make it exactly right without leaving the block.
Alexander's is a stockist of Vassalli — one of New Zealand's most respected menswear labels, known for quality fabrics and a clean, considered cut that works from the office to the weekend. New arrivals land regularly. Browse the full range at alexandersapparel.co.nz
Darren works the floor alongside two women who between them cover every fit, every style, every occasion. Whether it's menswear, ladies fashion, or an alteration that needs doing by Friday — the knowledge is in the room. You just have to walk through the door.
Suzelle Lingerie · 108 Heretaunga St West
Lyndy Bass has been running Suzelle Lingerie on WestSide for decades. The store has moved around the strip over the years — optimising for pedestrian flow, finding the right position as the street evolved. Currently at 108 Heretaunga Street West in the 100 block. The name has outlasted every move. WestSide people know it.
Suzelle is not a general clothing store. It is a specialist. Lingerie, sleepwear, swimwear, shapewear, hosiery, maternity, mastectomy. A team trained in fitting — not just selling — so you leave with something that works for your body, not just something that's in your size.
Passionata by Chantelle · Simone Perele · Fantasie · Elomi · Freya · Goddess · Triumph · Sloggi · Caprice · Exquisite · Berlei · Hotmilk Maternity · Wonderbra. Leading local and international labels. Quality and function without compromising on style.
The mastectomy fitting service is worth naming specifically. It's not something every lingerie store offers. Suzelle does. If you or someone you know needs specialist fitting after surgery, this is the place on WestSide — and in Hawke's Bay — to go.
Rick's Island Clothing · 328 HSW
Rakesh Kumar has been trading in Hastings for over two decades. He knows the strip. He knows what's going on and what should happen next. And he knows his customers... because his customers make a beeline for him.
Picture it. A van load of RSE workers pulls up on the 300 block. Boom boxes going. They unload, they move with purpose, and they go directly to Rick's Island. It's payday. Money gets sent home first — that's always first. And then a little left over for some new Pacific island streetwear to be seen in while strutting 300 West.
"Money gets sent home first. Then a little left over for some new fits to be seen strutting 300 West."
Rick's Island carries the fashion for the Pacific Island community here and back home. It is not a store trying to approximate a culture. It is a store run by someone who has spent twenty-plus years understanding exactly what this community wants to wear and making sure it's available on Heretaunga Street West.
Rakesh Kumar is also the brainchild behind Food Truckers WestSide — the next evolution of Food Truck Fridays on the strip. Eight trucks are already interested. The laneway. The crowd. The Friday energy. Rick's will be open late to let the locals in on what the RSE workers already know. Read the Food Truck story →
Flex Fitness · WestSide Hastings
Flex Fitness looks like a chain. The service is independently WestSide. Everyone is welcome here — as long as you're respectful. Pro tip: don't demand a triceps curl machine if someone's already working it. Even if you technically called it with your organic, plastic-free sippy cup.
The reviews tell the story better than any description could:
"Great gym! Awesome gym community, knowledgeable staff, well looked after facility. Been here for years. 100% recommend!"
Nicosia Webster"An amazing awesome gym whanau to be part of. Very helpful staff. Always great vibes when I'm in for a workout. Accommodates for all ages who want to stay healthy fit and strong."
Andy Kupa"The amount of group fitness classes they have available are amazing with something tailored to suit everyone. The people and atmosphere is so welcoming and it is always clean and tidy."
Gemma BartlettGroup fitness classes. Quality equipment. Coaches who greet you at the door. The kind of gym community where someone notices if you haven't been in for a while... and that's a feature, not a bug.
Four businesses. All different. All WestSide. The fashion corridor, the specialist fitter, the community store, and the gym with real whanau energy. You can sort your entire wardrobe, your body, and your Friday night on one street. Most people don't know that yet.
Now you do.